Pequannock Township, New Jersey

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Pequannock Township highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.

Pequannock Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 13,888.

Pequannock Township includes neighborhoods known as Pequannock and Pompton Plains, each of which is served by their own separate post office.

Pequannock (in the name of the Township and of the Pequannock River) is thought to have been derived from the Lenni Lenape Native American word "Paquettahhnuake", meaning, "cleared land ready or being readied for cultivation".^[1] Pompton has been cited by some sources to mean "a place where they catch soft fish."^[2]

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 18.7 km² (7.2 mi²). 18.3 km² (7.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.94%) is water.

The Township of Pequannock is located in eastern Morris County, along Route 23, approximately 5 miles north of the interchange of Route 23 with Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 46. Interstate 287 crosses the northwest corner of the Township, with a full interchange just north of the Township in the Borough of Riverdale.

[edit] History

Incorporated in 1740 as one of the largest townships in the region, this 6.96 square mile bedroom community composed of Pompton Plains in its northern portion and old Pequannock in its southern was once a vast 176-square-mile region of rural farmland settled by the Dutch after its purchase by Arent Schuyler and associates in 1695 & 1696. The name for the area goes back at least as far as 1720 when it was referred to as a "Precinct" in Hunterdon County.

Over time, towns were split off from the township:

• Jefferson Township in 1804
• Rockaway Township in 1844
• Montville Township in 1867
• Boonton Township in 1867
• Butler Borough in 1901
• Lincoln Park Borough in 1922
• Kinnelon Borough in 1922
• Riverdale Borough in 1923

During the American Revolutionary War, both Comte de Rochambeau & George Washington's troops camped on what is now the site of the Pequannock Valley Middle School. While Washington stayed at the Schuyler-Colfax House in nearby Pompton, unproven oral history states that he attended church services in the First Reformed Church located in Pompton Plains, also known as the Pompton Meeting House which had been constructed in 1771. The Mandeville Inn, located on the site of where the soldiers had camped during the war, was built in 1788 and was once owned by Garret Hobart, later Vice President of the United States. The stone with the engraved date is now located inside the Pequannock Valley Middle School when the Inn was demolished and replaced with the school in 1950.

During the Civil War, Pequannock was a stop on the underground railroad. The Giles Mandeville House (also built in 1788), a field and quarry-stone structure located at 515 Newark-Pompton Turnpike, which served as a waypoint for many runaway slaves, still stands today in use as the Manse of the adjacent First Reformed Church since 1953.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 13,888 people, 5,026 households, and 3,829 families residing in the township. The population density was 758.4/km² (1,965.1/mi²). There were 5,097 housing units at an average density of 278.4/km² (721.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.60% White, 0.30% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.91% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.94% of the population.

There were 5,026 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $72,729, and the median income for a family was $84,487. Males had a median income of $61,093 versus $38,523 for females. The per capita income for the township was $31,892. About 2.5% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Township operates under a Council-Manager Plan E form of government under the Faulkner Act, which was instituted in 1957. The voters elect five councilpersons who in turn elect one of their number to serve as Mayor. The Township Council employs a professional public Manager to serve as the Township Manager; the Township Manager is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the Township.^[4]

Pequannock's Township Council consists of Mayor Jay Vanderhoff, Edward G. Engelbart, Deputy Mayor Nick Kapotes, Joseph L. Jorgensen and Louis A. Skvarca.^[5]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Pequannock Township is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th Legislative District.^[6]

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 26th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert Martin (R, Morris Plains) and in the Assembly by Alex DeCroce (R, Morris Plains) and Joseph Pennacchio (R, Morris Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Morris County's Freeholders are: Margaret Nordstrom (Freeholder Director), John Inglesino (Freeholder Deputy Director), Douglas R. Cabana, Frank J. Druetzler, Cecilia G. Laureys, John J. Murphy, and Jack Schrier.

[edit] Education

The Pequannock Township School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is made up of three K-5 elementary schools (Stephen J. Gerace, Hillview and North Boulevard), Pequannock Valley Middle School, and Pequannock Township High School for grades 9-12. One private Catholic school known as Holy Spirit exists in the township as well and serves grades K-8. In addition, there is a Netherlands Christian Reformed School.

[edit] Transportation

Two major roadways exist within the township; Interstate 287 crosses the northwest corner and Route 23 runs near the eastern boundary.

The Mountain View and Lincoln Park New Jersey Transit stations both serve Pequannock, offering service on the Montclair-Boonton Line to Hoboken Terminal or on Midtown Direct trains to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan via the Secaucus Junction.

Bus service is provided by New Jersey Transit on the 194 Line to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan and the 75 Line to Newark. Both follow the same route through the township along the length of the Newark-Pompton Turnpike.

Downtown Pompton Plains is 19.8 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth, 14.1 miles from Teterboro Airport, 13.7 miles from Morristown Airport in Hanover Township, 11.5 miles from Greenwood Lake Airport in West Milford, 6.6 miles from Essex County Airport and 1.6 miles from Lincoln Park Airport in Lincoln Park Borough

[edit] Notable residents

Some notable former and current residents include:

• Jason Biggs - actor, American Pie - born in Pompton Plains
• Peter Cameron, author.^[7]
• Derek Jeter - shortstop for the New York Yankees - born in Pequannock.^[8]
• Danny Kass - Olympic snowboarder - born in Pompton Plains
• Davana Medina, figure competitor
• Criss Oliva - Lead guitarist and co-founder of Savatage - born in Pompton Plains
• Ryan Ward - actor, Far From Heaven - born in Pequannock
• Karen Young, actress

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Pequannock Township Official Website
• Pequannock Township School District
• Pequannock Township School District's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• National Center for Education Statistics data for the Pequannock Township School District
• Pequannock Lacrosse Club
• Revolutionary Petition of Patriots (May 1776)
• Pequannock Democratic Club
• Pequannock Historical Society

v • d • e Municipalities of Morris County, New Jersey (County seat: Morristown)
Boroughs	Butler | Chatham | Chester | Florham Park | Kinnelon | Lincoln Park | Madison | Mendham | Morris Plains | Mount Arlington | Mountain Lakes | Netcong | Rockaway | Riverdale | Victory Gardens | Wharton
Towns	Boonton | Dover | Morristown
Townships	Boonton | Chatham | Chester | Denville | East Hanover | Hanover | Harding | Jefferson | Long Hill | Mendham | Mine Hill | Montville | Morris | Mount Olive| Parsippany-Troy Hills | Pequannock | Randolph | Rockaway | Roxbury | Washington
CDPs and other communities	Budd Lake | Cedar Knolls | Cedar Lake | Convent Station | Flanders | Green Village | Lake Swannanoa | Landing | Lake Telemark | Long Valley | New Vernon | Port Morris | Stirling | Succasunna-Kenvil | Towaco | Union Hill | Whippany | White Meadow Lake